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enAfter Record-Breaking Fires, Can Indonesia’s New Policies Turn Down the Heat?http://www.wri.org/blog/2016/09/after-record-breaking-fires-can-indonesias-new-policies-turn-down-heat
<div class="field field--blog-links"><hr><div class="blog-links"><div class="comments"><a href="/taxonomy/term/8605/feed#comments"></a></div><div class="add-comments"><a href="/taxonomy/term/8605/feed#comments-form">Add Comment</a></div><div class="pipe">|</div><div class="print"><a href="/print/44465">Print</a></div></div></div><div class="field field--title"><h2>After Record-Breaking Fires, Can Indonesia’s New Policies Turn Down the Heat?</h2></div><figure class="field field--field-featured-image"><div class="field__item odd"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://www.wri.org/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/14416550936_fc32f97b9f_z.jpg?itok=AyY7EMCo" alt="Forest and peat fires in Riau, Indonesia" title="Forest and peat fires in Riau, Indonesia. Photo by Julius Lawalata/WRI" /></div><figcaption class="field__label">Forest and peat fires in Riau, Indonesia. Photo by Julius Lawalata/WRI</figcaption></figure><div class="field field--body"><p>For the last several years, forest fires driven by agricultural expansion have spiked every summer in Indonesia, creating smog and <a href="http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/hellish-fires-in-indonesia-spread-health-climate-problems/" target="_blank">public health crises</a>, including more than <a href="http://nyti.ms/2cWiCOj">100,000 deaths</a>, throughout Southeast Asia. While fires are <a href="http://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/haze-in-spore-caused-by-riau-forest-fires" target="_blank">once again flaring</a>, they’re not nearly as bad as usual—there are currently about a quarter as many burning across Indonesia this year compared to this time in 2015.</p>
<p>So what’s going on?</p>
<p><a href="/sites/default/files/uploads/2016firealertschart.png"><img src="/sites/default/files/uploads/2016firealertschart.png" width="1000" height="811" alt="" /></a></p>
<h3>Weather and Policy Changes Are Having an Impact</h3>
<p>Despite <a href="http://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/haze-in-singapore-over-the-weekend-was-from-forest-fires-burning-in-riau-indonesias" target="_blank">recent outbreaks</a>, fires in Indonesia are three-quarters lower in 2016 (16,128 fire alerts through September 18, 2016) compared to 2015 (61,819 alerts as of September 18, 2015). They’ve been remarkably sparse in Central Kalimantan and South Sumatra provinces, which had the highest numbers of fires last year. Last year’s fires also emitted<a href="http://blog.globalforestwatch.org/data/indonesias-fire-outbreaks-producing-more-daily-emissions-than-entire-u-s-economy.html" target="_blank"> catastrophic amounts of CO2</a>, as 40 percent of the blazes burned on carbon-rich peatland. This year, that portion is down to 28 percent. These reductions are likely the result of weather conditions and the policy changes implemented after last year’s record-breaking fire season.</p>
<p><a href="/sites/default/files/uploads/firealertsbyprovince.png"><img src="/sites/default/files/uploads/firealertsbyprovince.png" width="1000" height="766" alt="" /></a></p>
<p>Last year, the cyclical climate phenomenon known as <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Ni%C3%B1o%E2%80%93Southern_Oscillation" target="_blank">El Niño</a> caused dry conditions that allowed fires to spread uncontrollably across Indonesia. These fires begin as small blazes lit to cheaply clear land for agriculture, but every year many grow beyond a manageable scale. This year, Indonesia is seeing <a href="http://en.tempo.co/read/news/2016/08/19/055797338/BMKG-La-Nina-Expected-to-Bring-Higher-than-Average-Rainfall" target="_blank">wetter-than-usual conditions</a> caused by La Niña that could shorten the dry fire season and help firefighting efforts. <a href="http://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/haze-hit-riau-gets-reprieve-thanks-to-heavy-rain-and-fire-fighting-operations" target="_blank">Heavy rains</a> have already extinguished a recent fire outbreak in Riau, providing relatively swift relief from toxic haze.</p>
<p>New and emerging preventive policies and law enforcement measures on the ground may also be helping to fight fires this season.</p>
<p>Indonesia President Joko Widodo has taken several steps on that front, including <a href="http://setkab.go.id/presiden-jokowi-perpanjang-moratorium-hutan/" target="_blank">extending</a> a moratorium on new permits on primary forest and peatlands and establishing the Peatland Restoration Agency to restore hydrology—raising the water table back to the levels they were before the land was drained to reduce the soil’s flammability—on peatlands across the country to prevent future burning. He’s also endorsed a <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2016/06/no-more-fires-in-indonesia/" target="_blank">policy</a> to demote local police and army chiefs who fail to prevent fires—the police prepared <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2016/08/indonesian-police-arrest-hundreds-in-connection-to-burning-land/" target="_blank">cases against 454 individuals and arrested 85</a> last month— and continues to advocate the <a href="http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/12/26/one-map-policy-helps-resolve-land-disputes-overlapping-permits.html" target="_blank">One Map</a> initiative to gather all land-use data in one place. That map will help resolve differences that often cause conflicting licensing, <a href="http://indonesiaatmelbourne.unimelb.edu.au/getting-one-map-policy-right/" target="_blank">land disputes</a> and difficulty tracking down those responsible for forest and land fires.</p>
<p>Companies are also being held accountable for their part in last year’s fires. The Ministry of Environment and Forestry recently fined oil palm producer PT National Sago Prima <a href="http://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/indonesian-sago-plantation-company-gets-record-107-million-fine-for-fires-that-cost" target="_blank">a record Rp1.07 trillion ($81.1 million)</a> and a South Sumatra appeals court <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2016/08/another-indonesian-court-convicts-a-company-of-causing-fires/" target="_blank">found pulp and paper supplier PT Bumi Mekar Hijau guilty</a> and fined them Rp79 billion ($6 million). The Ministry has also <a href="http://www.theonlinecitizen.com/2016/08/29/indonesia-imposes-administrative-sanction-upon-30-companies-accused-of-contributing-to-forest-fires/" target="_blank">sanctioned 30 companies</a>, temporarily revoking licenses from those found guilty, and is suing 10 more. The contrast to <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2016/07/15-fire-linked-firms-escape-prosecution-in-indonesias-riau/" target="_blank">past failed efforts</a> to hold companies and individuals accountable sends a signal that companies better clean up their act.</p>
<p>In response, companies are bolstering their fire prevention efforts. APP, a pulp and paper company that <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-06-10/singapore-aims-to-prosecute-indonesian-polluters-under-haze-law" target="_blank">faced enforcement actions</a> under the Singapore Transboundary Haze Act and in <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2016/08/another-indonesian-court-convicts-a-company-of-causing-fires/" target="_blank">Indonesian courts</a> for having some of the worst fires on their concessions last year, <a href="http://www.nst.com.my/news/2016/07/160007/battling-riau-forest-fires-app-allocates-us20m-prevent-track-and-tackle-fires" target="_blank">invested $20 million</a> in fire prevention and launched a fire <a href="http://bit.ly/2cp2uFD" target="_blank">Situation Room</a> earlier this year. These actions are likely responsible for the low number of fires in the company’s concessions this year. Other companies like APRIL, Asian Agri, Musim Mas and Wilmar have joined forces with civil society groups and communities in the <a href="http://www.firefreealliance.org/" target="_blank">Fire-Free Alliance</a> to provide education on the negative impacts of fires, employ local firefighting units and invest in “no burn village” reward programs that pay villagers to keep their areas fire-free.</p>
<p>Even <a href="http://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/haram-to-burn-forest-intentionally-says-indonesian-islamic-council" target="_blank">Indonesia’s highest Islamic authority has weighed in</a>, announcing a fatwa (ruling based on Islamic law) that declares it a sin for Muslims to intentionally burn forest. The environment minister hopes this will send a stronger message than any legislation in a country that has the world’s biggest Muslim population, concentrated in fire-prone rural areas.</p>
<h3>No Time for Complacency</h3>
<p>Last year’s fire season catalyzed the strongest response to fires yet, but the current strategies remain short- term and costly. Global Forest Watch Fires data show that while the total number of fires this year is lower than last, <a href="http://blog.globalforestwatch.org/fires/as-indonesias-dry-season-looms-a-new-tool-can-predict-daily-forest-fire-risk.html">fire risk</a> continues to rise.</p>
<p><a href="/sites/default/files/uploads/Screen-Shot-2016-09-19-at-8.27.57-AM.png"><img src="/sites/default/files/uploads/Screen-Shot-2016-09-19-at-8.27.57-AM.png" width="1439" height="798" alt="" /></a></p>
<p><sub><em>View on the <a href="http://fires.globalforestwatch.org/map/#activeLayers=viirsFires%2CactiveFires%2CfireRisk&amp;activeBasemap=topo&amp;x=111&amp;y=1&amp;z=5">interactive map</a>.</em></sub></p>
<p>Slash-and-burn clearance remains the cheapest and most popular method way to prepare land for agriculture, but frequently lead to massive fires. If Indonesia wants to stop fires for good, it has to invest in longer-term solutions that will provide a cheap and sustainable alternative. These measures can include:</p>
<ul><li>Collaborating with local communities: The <a href="http://www.firefreealliance.org/" target="_blank">Fire-Free Alliance</a>, made up of companies, NGOs and communities, is exploring the use of no-burn rewards, village leaders, educational materials and trainings to stop fires. More of these stakeholders can join the alliance and bring these efforts across Indonesia.</li><br /><li>Providing land-clearing alternatives: <a href="http://www.wri.org/blog/2014/04/preventing-forest-fires-indonesia-focus-riau-province-peatland-and-illegal-burning" target="_blank">Low-cost access to mechanical land clearing equipment</a> can steer farmers away from the slash-and-burn method. Communities can also <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2016/sep/14/indonesia-forest-fires-palm-oil-sumatra-climate-change-peat-companies-unep" target="_blank">stabilize water levels</a> to make soil dry enough for oil palm, but humid enough to prevent fires and use fertilizers to boost yields and deter further clearing.</li><br /><li>Strengthening law enforcement: Although Indonesia has anti-fire regulations and policies, corruption and lack of enforcement have stifled progress. Using innovative technologies in investigations, clarifying prosecution criteria and using more expert testimony can help investigators, police, state prosecutors and judges more consistently penalize perpetrators.</li><br /><li>Monitor fire risk and alerts as prevention efforts: The government, private sector, communities and firefighters can use the Global Forest Watch Fires to monitor fire risk and receive alerts on where fires are occurring using near-real-time information. This can help people prevent fires and take action before fires burn out of control.</li>
</ul><p>Fire prevention is cheaper and more effective than firefighting. The actions taken in the wake of last year’s disastrous fire season and the favorable weather conditions put Indonesia at a good starting point, but it will take government, companies and local communities working together to make lasting changes.</p>
</div>Mon, 19 Sep 2016 18:41:56 +0000Wil Thomas44465 at http://www.wri.orghttp://www.wri.org/blog/2016/09/after-record-breaking-fires-can-indonesias-new-policies-turn-down-heat#commentsAt the World Conservation Congress, 3 Growing Signs of Hope for Forests and Wildlifehttp://www.wri.org/blog/2016/08/world-conservation-congress-3-growing-signs-hope-forests-and-wildlife
<div class="field field--blog-links"><hr><div class="blog-links"><div class="comments"><a href="/taxonomy/term/8605/feed#comments"></a></div><div class="add-comments"><a href="/taxonomy/term/8605/feed#comments-form">Add Comment</a></div><div class="pipe">|</div><div class="print"><a href="/print/44415">Print</a></div></div></div><div class="field field--title"><h2>At the World Conservation Congress, 3 Growing Signs of Hope for Forests and Wildlife</h2></div><figure class="field field--field-featured-image"><div class="field__item odd"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://www.wri.org/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/14244707259_f9e781afa1_z_0.jpg?itok=K8rkPSbJ" alt="Gardener in Indonesia" title="The Pesalat Reforestation Project in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia, works to restore forest within a national park degraded by fire and logging. Photo by James Anderson/WRI" /></div><figcaption class="field__label">The Pesalat Reforestation Project in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia, works to restore forest within a national park degraded by fire and logging. Photo by James Anderson/WRI</figcaption></figure><div class="field field--body"><p>This week brings one of the largest environmental gatherings in the world, and arguably one of the most important—the <a href="http://www.iucnworldconservationcongress.org/">World Conservation Congress</a>. Held every four years since 1948, the Congress is one of the greatest demonstrations of grassroots, ground-up innovations in wildlife and ecosystem conservation. The United States is hosting the gathering for the first time, in Honolulu, Hawaii. The ideas discussed are sure to generate ripple effects throughout communities and economies around the world.</p>
<p>Conservation remains more relevant than ever for solving the world’s toughest problems. More than <a href="https://www.americanforests.org/discover-forests/forest-facts/water/">half</a> of the drinking water in the United States originates in forests, which filter and regulate water for about 180 million people. Illegal logging and deforestation threaten the <a href="http://www.worldwildlife.org/habitats/forest-habitat">80 percent</a> of terrestrial biodiversity that lives in forests, including undiscovered species that may provide the basis for developing new medicines and crops. And wildlife trafficking and illegal logging are increasingly <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2012/10/02/report-most-tropical-deforestation-now-caused-by-the-mafia/">linked</a> with organized crime and the drug trade.</p>
<p><div class="image"><img src="/sites/default/files/uploads/8638822243_2a4b42d72b_z.jpg" alt="<p>Cleared forest in Orellana, Ecuador. Photo by Tomas Munita/CIFOR</p>
" /><p class="credit"><p>Cleared forest in Orellana, Ecuador. Photo by Tomas Munita/CIFOR</p>
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<p>Yet despite these troubling statistics, the conservation landscape has evolved tremendously even since the last meeting in South Korea four years ago. Heading into this year’s Congress, three innovations offer promise for solving pressing conservation problems:</p>
<h3>A Technological Revolution</h3>
<p>Since the last Congress, technology has transformed the way we observe and manage natural resources. From satellite monitoring of deforestation, smart phone usage to follow wildlife movements, and wood identification and timber tracking tools to combat illegal logging, the linkages between new technology and grassroots action on the ground are game-changers for conservation.</p>
<p>Many of these important new tools will be previewed at this year’s Congress. For example, the <a href="http://www.globalforestwatch.org/">Global Forest Watch platform</a> uses satellites to monitor tree cover change in near-real time. The system is evolving to the point where forest managers like park rangers will be able to use it to spot illegal logging and other activities even in remote areas without an internet connection. The <a href="https://wildlifecrimetech.org/index">Wildlife Crime Tech Challenge</a>, a U.S. government-supported effort, brings together more than 40 individuals and organizations to develop new technology to spot poaching routes, strengthen forensic evidence, reduce consumer demand for illegal wildlife products and tackle corruption. Others at the Congress will address <a href="http://www.wri.org/blog/2016/05/5-technologies-help-thwart-illegal-logging-tracing-woods-origin">fast-developing wood identification technologies</a> based on the genetic, structural or chemical properties of particular wood specimens. These emerging tools can help authorities battling illegal loggers, timber businesses seeking to ensure their products are sustainable and legally harvested, and environmental watchdogs ferreting out illicit activities.</p>
<h3>New Political Commitments</h3>
<p>2015 saw the conclusion of two landmark global agreements, the <a href="http://www.wri.org/blog/2015/12/paris-agreement-turning-point-climate-solution">Paris Climate Agreement</a> and the <a href="http://www.wri.org/blog/2015/09/sustainable-development-goals-setting-new-course-people-and-planet">U.N. Sustainable Development Goals</a> (SDGs). The Congress is the most important global event this year focused on the hard work of turning these political commitments into action to conserve nature.</p>
<p>Limiting global temperature rise to 1.5-2 degrees C can’t be done without drastically reducing deforestation rates. We’re already seeing moves in this direction, with several countries including anti-deforestation measures in their <a href="http://www.wri.org/our-work/topics/indcs">national climate plans</a> submitted ahead of COP21 in Paris. But much more needs to be done, particularly to slow the loss of the planet’s remaining <a href="http://www.wri.org/blog/2014/06/new-study-shows-indonesia-losing-primary-forest-unprecedented-rates">old-growth, primary forests</a>, which are crucial for both combating climate change and slowing the loss of biological diversity. Achieving the SDGs will require massive investment in clean water, sustainable agriculture, marine conservation and more. The SDGs give countries and companies a clear signal to make these investments; the Conservation Congress is demonstrating how conserving nature can and should be a major foundation for achieving the lofty goals set out in the SDGs.</p>
<p><div class="image"><img src="/sites/default/files/uploads/21652206308_610826dfb1_z.jpg" alt="<p>Restoring degraded landscapes in Kenya. Photo by Aaron Minnick/WRI</p>
" /><p class="credit"><p>Restoring degraded landscapes in Kenya. Photo by Aaron Minnick/WRI</p>
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<h3>A Growing Restoration Movement</h3>
<p>The leaders and practitioners gathered at the Conservation Congress must, however, also deal with a sad legacy of the past. About <a href="http://www.wri.org/our-work/topics/forests">30 percent</a> of the world’s forests have been completely cleared, and another 20 percent are degraded. In its rush to develop, humanity has left a significant part of our shared planet a wasteland, stripped of nature and not much good for people either. Here too, though, signs of hope have emerged in the past few years.</p>
<p>A movement to restore these degraded landscapes into productivity is growing. The <a href="http://www.bonnchallenge.org/content/challenge">Bonn Challenge</a> is a global initiative to restore 150 million hectares of degraded land by 2020 and 350 million hectares by 2030, an area larger than the size of India. We’ve already secured commitments to restore more than 100 million hectares, and national and regional initiatives continue to emerge. Eleven countries and four sub-national groups pledged to restore nearly 28 million hectares of degraded land in Latin America and the Caribbean by 2020 as part of <a href="http://www.wri.org/our-work/project/initiative-20x20">Initiative 20x20</a>. And last December, African nations launched <a href="http://www.wri.org/our-work/project/AFR100/about-afr100">AFR 100</a>, an effort to bring 100 million hectares of degraded landscapes under restoration by 2030.</p>
<p><div class="image"><img src="/sites/default/files/uploads/5555919099_6b64e60322_z.jpg" alt="<p>Albatross chick in Papahanaumokuakea reserve. Photo by Kris Krüg/Flickr</p>
" /><p class="credit"><p>Albatross chick in Papahanaumokuakea reserve. Photo by Kris Krüg/Flickr</p>
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<h3>Better Conservation for a Better Planet</h3>
<p>Just ahead of the Congress, U.S. President Barack Obama announced the expansion of the <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2016/08/us-creates-worlds-largest-marine-reserve-off-hawaii/">Papahanaumokuakea marine reserve</a> northwest of the main Hawai’ian Islands. It’s now the world’s largest protected area, spanning a region twice the size of Texas.</p>
<p>There is still room on this crowded planet to think big when it comes to conserving nature, if we realize that conservation is not the enemy of development. Done at the right scales, with the proper tools and always with the inextricable goals of improved human welfare and respect for the power, laws and limits of nature, conservation is a necessary part of development.</p>
</div>Wed, 31 Aug 2016 13:00:00 +0000Wil Thomas44415 at http://www.wri.orghttp://www.wri.org/blog/2016/08/world-conservation-congress-3-growing-signs-hope-forests-and-wildlife#commentsWatersheds Lost Up to 22% of Their Forests in 14 Years. Here’s How it Affects Your Water Supplyhttp://www.wri.org/blog/2016/08/watersheds-lost-22-their-forests-14-years-heres-how-it-affects-your-water-supply
<div class="field field--blog-links"><hr><div class="blog-links"><div class="comments"><a href="/taxonomy/term/8605/feed#comments"></a></div><div class="add-comments"><a href="/taxonomy/term/8605/feed#comments-form">Add Comment</a></div><div class="pipe">|</div><div class="print"><a href="/print/44404">Print</a></div></div></div><div class="field field--title"><h2>Watersheds Lost Up to 22% of Their Forests in 14 Years. Here’s How it Affects Your Water Supply</h2></div><figure class="field field--field-featured-image"><div class="field__item odd"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://www.wri.org/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/Flickr_BerndThaller_OnTheYangtzeRiverAtBadong_China.jpg?itok=E0al6adr" alt="On the Yangtze River at Badong, China. Photo by Bernd Thaller/Flickr." title="On the Yangtze River at Badong, China. Photo by Bernd Thaller/Flickr." /></div><figcaption class="field__label">On the Yangtze River at Badong, China. Photo by Bernd Thaller/Flickr.</figcaption></figure><div class="field field--body"><p><a href="http://blog.cifor.org/26559/the-science-is-clear-forest-loss-behind-brazils-drought?fnl=en">Drought in Sao Paulo</a>. <a href="http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/problems-of-deforestation-and-soil-erosion-in-himalayas/1/436485.html">Flooding in the Himalayas</a>. <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/may/26/sumatra-borneo-deforestation-tigers-palm-oil">And pollution in Sumatra</a>. These three distinct water crises have a common cause—degradation in forests.</p>
<p>That’s because upstream forests, wetlands and other “natural infrastructure” play a critical role in supplying clean water downstream. They stabilize soil and reduce erosion, regulate water flow to mitigate floods and droughts, and purify water. Yet the world’s watersheds lost 6 percent of their tree cover on average from 2000-2014, putting citizens at risk of losing their water supplies.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.wri.org/sites/default/files/uploads/16_INFO_GFW_WATER_v3-01.png"><div class="image"><img src="http://www.wri.org/sites/default/files/uploads/16_INFO_GFW_WATER_v3-01.png" alt="
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<p><aside class="sidebar"></p>
<h3>Who Can Use GFW Water?</h3>
<p>GFW Water allows anyone with internet access, regardless of expertise, to visualize critical watershed information and threats, and screen for cost-effective, sustainable natural infrastructure solutions. For example:</p>
<ul><li><strong>Downstream utilities, municipalities, businesses and others who make infrastructure investments</strong> can identify risks and explore natural infrastructure options and find information to improve operations and protect water at a lower cost.</li>
<li><strong>Finance and development institutions</strong> can gather data, explore trends and gain insights about the regions they support to develop a pipeline of investable opportunities to enhance water security and bolster economic development.</li>
<li><strong>Researchers and civil society</strong> can use data to support their projects and find the information needed to advance their research and campaigns to protect watersheds.</li>
</ul><p></aside></p>
<p><a href="http://water.globalforestwatch.org/">Global Forest Watch (GFW) Water</a>, a global mapping tool and database launched today, examines how forest loss, fires, unsustainable land use and other threats to natural infrastructure affect water security throughout the world. GFW Water provides data sets, statistics and risk scores for all of the world’s 230 watersheds, areas of land where all of the water drains to a common outlet such as a river. Users can drop a pin anywhere to learn about the risks to the water supply near them, and find resources on how investing in natural infrastructure protection can help alleviate these threats.</p>
<p>Findings from GFW Water reveal some of the watersheds most threatened by forest loss, fires and erosions:</p>
<h3>Recent Forest Loss in Sumatra, Indonesia Watershed</h3>
<p>As forests are cut down or converted to other land uses, their ability to regulate flow and purify water diminishes, putting communities at risk of flood, drought, higher water treatment costs and greater incidence of drinking water contamination.</p>
<p>The watershed of <a href="http://water.globalforestwatch.org/report/index.html?fid=W_5027&amp;canopyDensity=30">Sumatra, Indonesia</a> experienced the most forest loss from 2000-2014, losing more than 22 percent of its forest cover (8 million hectares, or an area about the size of South Carolina). <a href="http://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/7/3/034010;jsessionid=47BA57809D78C31C9158895AC1F851EB.c4.iopscience.cld.iop.org">Research</a> shows that agricultural expansion, logging and infrastructure extension as a result of expanding global markets for pulp, timber and oil palm are among the major drivers. <a href="http://www.goldmanprize.org/blog/clearing-way-plantations-land-grabs-deforestation-and-endangered-species/">Forest clearing in the region</a> has intensified floods, landslides, fires and water pollution.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.wri.org/sites/default/files/uploads/GFW_Water_blog_Sumatra.png"><div class="image"><img src="http://www.wri.org/sites/default/files/uploads/GFW_Water_blog_Sumatra.png" alt="
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<p>Natural infrastructure approaches can mitigate and prevent further damage in watersheds like Sumatra. Establishing conservation zones, engaging in agroforestry and other sustainable forestry practices and regulating road development can help.</p>
<h3>Historical Forest Loss in Krishna, India Watershed</h3>
<p>Forest loss that took place decades ago—prior to 2000— also leads to changes in water flow, higher sediment levels and more, and the impacts are often more uncertain compared to recent forest loss.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.wri.org/sites/default/files/uploads/GFW_Water_blog_India.png"><div class="image"><img src="http://www.wri.org/sites/default/files/uploads/GFW_Water_blog_India.png" alt="
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<p>According to GFW Water, watersheds lost more than half of their forests prior to 2000. The watershed of <a href="http://water.globalforestwatch.org/report/index.html?fid=W_5041&amp;canopyDensity=30">Krishna, India</a> was once covered by forests, but fewer than 3 percent of these trees remain today as a result of urbanization and cropland expansion. Communities in the area suffer from frequent <a href="http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/view.php?id=40601">droughts and floods</a>, as well as high levels of <a href="http://www.iwmi.cgiar.org/Publications/IWMI_Research_Reports/PDF/PUB111/RR111.pdf">water pollution</a> from agricultural runoff. Sedimentation is a <a href="http://www.iwmi.cgiar.org/Publications/IWMI_Research_Reports/PDF/PUB111/RR111.pdf">recurring challenge</a> to reservoirs and dams.</p>
<p>Planting new seedlings in deforested areas, enhancing natural forest generation, and integrating trees with crops and ranchlands could help watersheds like Krishna.</p>
<h3>Erosion in the Philippines Watershed</h3>
<p>Erosion is a significant problem that affects both water quality and quantity. High erosion deteriorates water quality and reduces reservoir capacity, increasing the cost of water treatment and the risk of contamination. High erosion risk is usually linked to erodible soil, intense rainfall, steep topography and conversion of forest and other natural lands to pasture, cropland and more.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.wri.org/sites/default/files/uploads/GFW_Water_blog_Philipines.png"><div class="image"><img src="http://www.wri.org/sites/default/files/uploads/GFW_Water_blog_Philipines.png" alt="
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<p><a href="http://water.globalforestwatch.org/report/index.html?fid=W_5034&amp;canopyDensity=30">The Philippines</a> watershed faces some of the highest erosion rates as a result of highly erodible soil, a long and intense rainy season, mountainous landscapes and expansive agriculture. The region frequently suffers from landslides. In 2006, following days of heavy rain, <a href="http://www.philippines.hvu.nl/News.htm">a massive mudslide</a> occurred in the province of Southern Leyte, causing widespread damage and loss of life.</p>
<p>Planting or maintaining vegetation along roads and waterways to capture sediments and pollutants; creating barriers on steep slopes to slow soil movement; and reducing the amount of pesticides, fertilizers, animal waste and other agricultural products entering waterways can help watersheds threatened with erosion.</p>
<h3>Fires in Angola, Coast Watershed</h3>
<p>Fires are a common disturbance in some forests, damaging both watersheds and communities nearby. High intensity or large fires can increase agricultural runoff, cause erosion and kill trees, all of which can negatively impact water quality and flow.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.wri.org/sites/default/files/uploads/GFW_Water_blog_Angola.png"><div class="image"><img src="http://www.wri.org/sites/default/files/uploads/GFW_Water_blog_Angola.png" alt="
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<p>In the watershed of <a href="http://water.globalforestwatch.org/report/index.html?fid=W_7023&amp;canopyDensity=30">Angola, Coast</a>, NASA satellites detected more than 130,000 fire occurrences annually for the past 10 years. Over the past 24 hours alone, there were 267 fire alerts (data retrieved on August 29, 2016). This is a common occurrence in <a href="http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2015-05/nsfc-afi052115.php">western Africa</a> as farmers often use fire to fertilize soil and clear the field of unwanted vegetation.</p>
<p>In areas like western Africa where fires are deliberately set to manage land, alternative solutions such as growing crops in between woody plants can help prevent unwanted vegetation while bringing other benefits like improved crop production and erosion control. In regions like California where dense forests fuel catastrophic wildfire, mechanical forest thinning and controlled burns can reduce wildfire severity and related sediment and ash pollution.</p>
<p>In the face of growing water challenges, we need cost-effective, sustainable solutions. Sometimes investing in nature is the best way to solve complex problems.</p>
<p><em>To learn more about the methodology behind GFW Water, please refer to </em><a href="http://www.wri.org/publication/GFW_Water_metadata"><em>Global Forest Watch Water Metadata Document</em></a><em>.</em></p>
</div>Tue, 30 Aug 2016 04:01:00 +0000Wil Thomas44404 at http://www.wri.orghttp://www.wri.org/blog/2016/08/watersheds-lost-22-their-forests-14-years-heres-how-it-affects-your-water-supply#commentsNew Satellite System Analyzes Brazil’s Forests Weekly. Will It Help Curb Deforestation?http://www.wri.org/blog/2016/08/new-satellite-system-analyzes-brazil%E2%80%99s-forests-weekly-will-it-help-curb-deforestation
<div class="field field--blog-links"><hr><div class="blog-links"><div class="comments"><a href="/taxonomy/term/8605/feed#comments"></a></div><div class="add-comments"><a href="/taxonomy/term/8605/feed#comments-form">Add Comment</a></div><div class="pipe">|</div><div class="print"><a href="/print/44391">Print</a></div></div></div><div class="field field--title"><h2>New Satellite System Analyzes Brazil’s Forests Weekly. Will It Help Curb Deforestation?</h2></div><figure class="field field--field-featured-image"><div class="field__item odd"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://www.wri.org/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/brazil_deforestation_0.jpg?itok=2VVPd8nA" alt="Deforestation in Brazil" title="Aerial shot of deforestation near Rio Branco, Brazil. Photo by Kate Evans/CIFOR" /></div><figcaption class="field__label">Aerial shot of deforestation near Rio Branco, Brazil. Photo by Kate Evans/CIFOR</figcaption></figure><div class="field field--body"><p><em>A version of this post <a href="http://blog.globalforestwatch.org/data/new-satellite-system-analyzes-brazils-forests-weekly-will-it-help-curb-deforestation.html">also appears</a> on the Global Forest Watch blog.</em>
<em>Disponível em Português <a href="http://blog.globalforestwatch.org/data/novo-sistema-por-satelite-analisa-semanalmente-as-florestas-brasileiras-ele-ira-ajudar-a-controlar-o-desmatamento.html">aqui</a></em>.</p>
<p>As Rio’s Olympic stadiums empty and athletes head home, Brazil’s big moment in the global spotlight seems to be drawing to a close. But if we take the opening ceremony’s commentary on forest restoration and <a href="http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/olympics-ceremony-shines-spotlight-on-climate-change/">climate change</a> to heart, Brazil is more relevant than ever. <a href="http://www.globalforestwatch.org/country/BRA">Brazil’s forests</a>, from the steamy depths of the Amazon to the tropical savannahs of the Cerrado, represent one of the world’s <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/gcb.13153/abstract">best chances</a> for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and fighting climate change. And for the first time, Brazil and the rest of the world have a tool to track how these forests are changing every week.</p>
<p>Today, <a href="http://www.globalforestwatch.org/">Global Forest Watch</a> released the satellite-based <a href="http://www.globalforestwatch.org/map/4/-14.85/-55.27/ALL/grayscale/umd_as_it_happens">GLAD system for Brazil</a>, offering weekly alerts of new tree cover loss throughout the country. Created by the University of Maryland, Google and WRI, the alerts provide the fastest, highest-definition and widest-scale forest monitoring of any system yet available for Brazil. And for the first time, the public can now join Brazil’s government in tracking deforestation in near-real-time.</p>
<h3>The Next Step in the Evolution of Forest Monitoring</h3>
<p><aside class="sidebar"></p>
<h3>What Are GLAD Alerts?</h3>
<p>GLAD alerts identify areas of probable tree cover loss using information from <a href="http://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/11/3/034008">Landsat satellite imagery</a>. They are <a href="http://www.wri.org/blog/2016/03/we-know-how-forests-changed-month-thanks-new-satellite-alerts">currently available</a> for Brazil, Peru, Republic of Congo and Kalimantan, Indonesia. Compared to other forest alert systems on Global Forest Watch, the GLAD alerts are both more frequently updated and higher resolution. Each alert covers a 30 meter by 30 meter area, about the size of two basketball courts. New alerts are triggered with every new, cloud-free Landsat image (as often as every eight days for any particular location) and are updated weekly on the website. For more information on the methodology behind the alerts and how they differ from other monitoring systems, read our <a href="http://blog.globalforestwatch.org/data/a-closer-look-at-the-brazil-glad-alerts.html">primer on GLAD alerts in Brazil</a>.</p>
<p></aside></p>
<p>Brazil has made great strides in reducing deforestation, but <a href="http://www.globalforestwatch.org/countries/overview">still loses</a> more tree cover every year than any other tropical country. In response, Brazil has developed some of the most sophisticated forest monitoring tools in the world--the government-run <a href="http://blog.globalforestwatch.org/data/official-deforestation-data-for-the-brazilian-amazon-now-available-on-global-forest-watch.html">PRODES</a> and <a href="http://climatepolicyinitiative.org/publication/deterring-deforestation-in-the-brazilian-amazon-environmental-monitoring-and-law-enforcement/">DETER</a> systems and <a href="http://imazon.org.br/slide/desmatamento/?lang=en">SAD</a> from Imazon, an NGO. While these tools remain essential, the new GLAD alerts complement these systems with more frequent alerts, higher resolution pixels, coverage of the entire country’s forests, and public availability, allowing anyone with an internet connection to spot deforestation and sound the alarm.</p>
<p>When it comes to stopping illegal or undesirable forest clearing in the act, speed is everything. Brazil’s environmental agency, <a href="http://www.ibama.gov.br/">IBAMA</a>, already has one of the world’s best rapid response systems—<a href="http://climatepolicyinitiative.org/publication/deterring-deforestation-in-the-brazilian-amazon-environmental-monitoring-and-law-enforcement/">using satellite alerts</a> from the DETER system to direct law enforcement teams to the site via helicopter. However, DETER is only released publicly every three months. GLAD alerts, by comparison, are made available to the public every week via Global Forest Watch’s <a href="http://blog.globalforestwatch.org/2016/02/introducing-my-gfw-a-customized-forest-monitoring-experience/">email subscription service</a>.</p>
<iframe width="100%" height="600" frameborder="0" src="http://www.globalforestwatch.org/embed/map/11/-10.43/-64.49/ALL/grayscale/umd_as_it_happens/685,612,680?tab=hd-tab&amp;begin=2015-01-01&amp;end=2016-08-19&amp;dont_analyze=true&amp;hresolution=eyJ6b29tIjoxMSwic2F0ZWxsaXRlIjoidXJ0aGUiLCJjb2xvcl9maWx0ZXIiOiJyZ2IiLCJyZW5kZXJlciI6IlJHQiAoUmVkIEdyZWVuIEJsdWUpIiwic2Vuc29yX3BsYXRmb3JtIjoibGFuZHNhdC04LHRoZWlhLGRlaW1vcy0xIiwic2Vuc29yX25hbWUiOiJBbGwgc2Vuc29ycyIsImNsb3VkIjoiMzAiLCJtaW5kYXRlIjoiMjAxNi0wNS0yNCIsIm1heGRhdGUiOiIyMDE2LTA4LTI0In0="></iframe>
<p><sub><em>Intact forests are cleared (shown in pink) for agriculture in a national park (in blue) in Rondônia. View on GFW <a href="http://bit.ly/2bNRgsc">here</a>.</em></sub></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Speedy response times only work when you can identify the location of the illegal activity. Fine-scale deforestation detection is increasingly important considering that most large-scale forest loss is preceded by some sort of smaller clearing, <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S000632071400264X">often a road or an access point on a river.</a> If police can detect smaller clearings, they can stop the deforestation before it spreads further.</p>
<p>Systems like DETER and SAD offer alerts at 250 X 250 meters, an area roughly the size of 150 basketball courts. However, reports suggest that illegal loggers are adapting and <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/aug/21/brazils-illegal-loggers-downscale-to-avoid-satellite-detection">clearing even smaller plots</a> to try and evade satellite detection. GLAD alerts measure 30x30 meters—about the size of two basketball courts—allowing users to see small-scale changes like emerging logging roads (PRODES also measures forest clearing at the same resolution, but on an annual basis).</p>
<iframe src="http://www.globalforestwatch.org/embed/map/11/-9.03/-66.12/BRA/satellite/umd_as_it_happens/685?tab=hd-tab&amp;begin=2015-01-01&amp;end=2016-08-07&amp;dont_analyze=true&amp;hresolution=eyJ6b29tIjoxMSwic2F0ZWxsaXRlIjoidXJ0aGUiLCJjb2xvcl9maWx0ZXIiOiJyZ2IiLCJyZW5kZXJlciI6IlJHQiAoUmVkIEdyZWVuIEJsdWUpIiwic2Vuc29yX3BsYXRmb3JtIjoibGFuZHNhdC04LHRoZWlhLGRlaW1vcy0xIiwic2Vuc29yX25hbWUiOiJBbGwgc2Vuc29ycyIsImNsb3VkIjoiMzAiLCJtaW5kYXRlIjoiMjAxNS0xMi0wMSIsIm1heGRhdGUiOiIyMDE2LTA4LTAzIn0=" height="600" width="100%" frameborder="0"></iframe>
<p><sub><em>Recent clearing for roads is detected emanating out of a large agricultural field in southern Amazonas state. These roads are the first sign of the expansion of agriculture and timber extraction likely to happen in these intact forests, some of which has already started. View on GFW <a href="http://bit.ly/2bNSfJ0">here</a>.</em></sub></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Finally, Brazil’s current alert systems only monitor the Amazon region, where deforestation has <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Maria_Digiano2/publication/262876332_Slowing_Amazon_deforestation_through_public_policy_and_interventions_in_beef_and_soy_supply_chains/links/02e7e539b196804407000000.pdf">dramatically declined</a> over the last decade. But forest clearing has actually <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&amp;rct=j&amp;q=&amp;esrc=s&amp;source=web&amp;cd=4&amp;cad=rja&amp;uact=8&amp;ved=0ahUKEwi594KEpcnOAhXHAMAKHW24DvUQFgg5MAM&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wri.org%2Fblog%2F2015%2F09%2Fbrazil-and-indonesia-struggling-reduce-deforestation&amp;usg=AFQjCNEsLdUANtv4gLChl5RXCANiuyM7RA&amp;sig2=3CL_ofzOBJPpGLmTA3WdWg&amp;bvm=bv.129759880,d.dmo">risen</a> in Brazil’s less well-known biomes like the Cerrado. This dry forest and savannah area has extremely <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1523-1739.2005.00702.x/abstract">high biodiversity</a> and many indigenous land claims, but is being <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2016/04/04/the-amazons-tree-loss-is-bad-but-deforestation-in-this-huge-brazilian-region-is-even-worse/?utm_term=.e91d31952039">rapidly cleared</a> for soy and cattle. GLAD alerts can spot forest change across all of Brazil’s forested areas, including the Cerrado and the Atlantic Forest.</p>
<iframe src="http://www.globalforestwatch.org/embed/map/12/-4.96/-44.08/BRA/satellite/umd_as_it_happens/607,685?tab=hd-tab&amp;begin=2015-01-01&amp;end=2016-08-07&amp;dont_analyze=true&amp;hresolution=eyJ6b29tIjoxMiwic2F0ZWxsaXRlIjoidXJ0aGUiLCJjb2xvcl9maWx0ZXIiOiJyZ2IiLCJyZW5kZXJlciI6IlJHQiAoUmVkIEdyZWVuIEJsdWUpIiwic2Vuc29yX3BsYXRmb3JtIjoibGFuZHNhdC04LHRoZWlhLGRlaW1vcy0xIiwic2Vuc29yX25hbWUiOiJBbGwgc2Vuc29ycyIsImNsb3VkIjoiMzAiLCJtaW5kYXRlIjoiMjAxNS0xMi0wMSIsIm1heGRhdGUiOiIyMDE2LTA4LTI0In0=" height="600" width="100%" frameborder="0"></iframe>
<p><sub><em>Agricultural expansion in the Cerrado is detected by GLAD alerts. Over half of native vegetation in the Cerrado has been cleared for agriculture. View on GFW <a href="http://bit.ly/2bfR6IA">here</a>.</em></sub></p>
<h3>Brazil’s Forests Matter for Everyone</h3>
<p><aside class="sidebar"></p>
<h3>GLAD and Climate Targets</h3>
<p>GLAD alerts, when analyzed against a detailed map of carbon emissions, can also allow us to estimate how well Brazil and other countries are doing towards meeting their emission reduction goals. Check out the <a href="http://bit.ly/2bNQKKi">new visualization on GFW Climate</a> to learn how different countries are stacking up.</p>
<p></aside></p>
<p>Brazil has already <a href="http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/06/140605-brazil-deforestation-carbon-emissions-environment/">led the world</a> in saving carbon by saving forests. The country now <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/gcb.13153/abstract">accounts</a> for about 20 percent of the world’s emissions from tropical deforestation, down from 69 percent a decade ago. But even with its success, Brazil’s forests remain key to curbing global climate change. With GLAD, the Brazilian government has a powerful tool to crack down on illegal deforestation and continue evolving its own monitoring systems.</p>
<p>You can be a part of the effort to protect Brazil’s forests, too. Access the GLAD alerts <a href="http://www.globalforestwatch.org/map/4/-14.85/-55.27/ALL/grayscale/umd_as_it_happens">on GFW</a>, <a href="http://blog.globalforestwatch.org/features/introducing-my-gfw-a-customized-forest-monitoring-experience.html">subscribe</a> to an area you want to monitor and <a href="http://www.globalforestwatch.org/stories/new">share</a> what you find.</p>
</div>Wed, 24 Aug 2016 15:00:00 +0000Sarah Parsons44391 at http://www.wri.orghttp://www.wri.org/blog/2016/08/new-satellite-system-analyzes-brazil%E2%80%99s-forests-weekly-will-it-help-curb-deforestation#commentsGuacamole Coasts: Not Just Florida, Not Just Nowhttp://www.wri.org/blog/2016/07/guacamole-coasts-not-just-florida-not-just-now
<div class="field field--blog-links"><hr><div class="blog-links"><div class="comments"><a href="/taxonomy/term/8605/feed#comments"></a></div><div class="add-comments"><a href="/taxonomy/term/8605/feed#comments-form">Add Comment</a></div><div class="pipe">|</div><div class="print"><a href="/print/44263">Print</a></div></div></div><div class="field field--title"><h2>Guacamole Coasts: Not Just Florida, Not Just Now</h2></div><figure class="field field--field-featured-image"><div class="field__item odd"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://www.wri.org/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/great_lakes_algae_bloom.jpg?itok=6-XN87Ow" alt="Harmful algae bloom on Lake Erie, Pelee Island, Ohio, September 4, 2009. Photo by T. Archer. Photo Credit: &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.flickr.com/photos/43788330@N05/8741972842/&quot;&gt;NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory&lt;/a&gt; via &lt;a href=&quot;http://compfight.com&quot;&gt;Compfight&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/&quot;&gt;cc&lt;/a&gt;" title="Harmful algae bloom on Lake Erie, Pelee Island, Ohio, September 4, 2009. Photo by T. Archer, &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.flickr.com/photos/43788330@N05/8741972842/&quot;&gt;NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory&lt;/a&gt; via &lt;a href=&quot;http://compfight.com&quot;&gt;Compfight&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/&quot;&gt;cc&lt;/a&gt;" /></div><figcaption class="field__label">Harmful algae bloom on Lake Erie, Pelee Island, Ohio, September 4, 2009. Photo by T. Archer, <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/43788330@N05/8741972842/">NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory</a> via <a href="http://compfight.com">Compfight</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/">cc</a></figcaption></figure><div class="field field--body"><p>Florida’s Treasure Coast has turned toxic this summer, as a foul-smelling algae bloom that resembles guacamole has made some of the Sunshine State’s beaches untouchable.</p>
<p align="left">One cause is the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/02/us/reeking-oozing-algae-closes-south-florida-beaches.html?_r=2">controlled release of water</a> from an over-full Lake Okeechobee into local rivers that flow east to the Atlantic and west to the Gulf of Mexico. Heavy precipitation makes these controlled releases necessary because Lake Okeechobee’s aging dike system can’t retain the large amount of water. Even if the lake’s infrastructure was up to snuff, the water in Lake Okeechobee is in bad shape. </p>
<p align="left">The lake’s poor water quality starts with its surrounding watershed, or drainage area. <a href="http://www.sfwmd.gov/portal/page/portal/xrepository/sfwmd_repository_pdf/lopp_update_2011.pdf">This agricultural area</a> is planted with citrus and sugarcane and also has hundreds of thousands of acres of pasture, with only a small percentage of urbanized land. Rains can carry fertilizers and manure into the lake, and ultimately to the coast. Fertilizer, manure and sewage are loaded with nutrients, nitrogen and phosphorus, which can build up in water in a process known as <a href="http://www.wri.org/our-work/project/eutrophication-and-hypoxia/about-eutrophication">eutrophication</a>, or over-enrichment. And just as fertilizer feeds plant growth on land, it feeds algal growth in water. It can cause the kind of harmful algal blooms now occurring in Florida.</p>
<p align="left">Besides disrupting tourism, <a href="http://www.wri.org/our-work/project/eutrophication-and-hypoxia/impacts">harmful algal blooms</a> can cause health problems—such as nausea, respiratory issues, and skin irritations—for humans who come in contact with the water. The algae can also choke out marine life by blocking sunlight and consuming oxygen that fish and other aquatic species need to survive. When oxygen levels become dangerously low, or hypoxic, <a href="http://www.noaa.gov/average-%E2%80%98dead-zone%E2%80%99-gulf-mexico-predicted">“dead zones”</a> may occur and result in massive fish kills.</p>
<h3>Florida Is Not Alone</h3>
<p align="left">This problem is not unique to this summer. Periodic hypoxia has been <a href="http://www.wri.org/our-work/project/eutrophication-and-hypoxia/interactive-map-eutrophication-hypoxia">documented</a> in this area since the 1980s. It’s also not unique to Florida. In 2014, a toxic algal bloom in Lake Erie forced the city of Toledo to shut down its drinking water system, leaving more than <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/toxic-algae-bloom-leaves-500-000-without-drinking-water-in-ohio-1881940537.html">400,000 people without access to water</a>. Just before the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, there were images of <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/01/world/asia/01algae.html?_r=0">algae overtaking the Yellow Sea</a>. This year, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/early-lead/wp/2016/02/18/outside-the-lines-report-rio-water-will-still-be-polluted-for-summer-olympics/">Brazil is also grappling with poor water quality conditions</a> as it prepares to host the 2016 Summer Olympics. And on South America’s west coast, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/mar/10/chiles-salmon-farms-lose-800m-as-algal-bloom-kills-millions-of-fish">Chile’s salmon farming industry lost $800 million</a> a few months ago when massive algal blooms killed millions of fish.</p>
<p><img src="/sites/default/files/uploads/imageedit_2_6454922392.jpg" width="1366" height="728" alt="" /></p>
<p align="left"><em>Source: WRI, 2011</em></p>
<p align="left"><em>WRI’s <a href="http://www.wri.org/resource/interactive-map-eutrophication-hypoxia">interactive map of coastal eutrophication and hypoxia</a> identifies the St. Lucie River, one of Lake Okeechobee’s outlets, as having experienced periodic hypoxia since the 1980s. </em></p>
<p align="left">All over the world, we’re seeing increased nutrient pollution and its harmful effects. In the past century, <a href="http://www.biogeosciences-discuss.net/12/20123/2015/bgd-12-20123-2015.pdf">nutrient pollution in waterways nearly doubled</a> globally, driven by growth in agriculture, industry and population. Eutrophication has become one of the main causes of poor water quality. The situation is expected to <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2005GB002537/full">get worse</a>, particularly for developing countries. <a href="https://www.veolianorthamerica.com/sites/g/files/dvc596/f/assets/documents/2015/04/IFPRI_Veolia_H2OQual_WP.pdf">A recent study</a> projected that even under optimistic conditions, we will see more people at high risk of water pollution in 2050 – as many as one in three (it’s now about one in five).</p>
<h3>Stopping the Trend</h3>
<p align="left">In order to stop this trend, urgent <a href="http://www.wri.org/our-work/project/eutrophication-and-hypoxia/solutions">action is needed</a> from policy makers, corporations, farmers and citizens to better manage nutrients from farms, urban and suburban areas, and industries. For example, cover crops and riverside forest buffers can filter excess nutrients before they leave farm fields and end up polluting local streams. Septic systems and sewage treatment plants may be able to better treat wastewater to reduce the amount of nutrients they discharge into rivers. And cities can be designed with green infrastructure that naturally filters pollutants out of stormwater.</p>
<p align="left">To inform decision makers on possible solutions to these water quality challenges, WRI—together with the Global Environment and Technology Foundation, the Energy Research Centre of the Netherlands, and the wider <a href="http://unep.org/gpa/gpnm/gpnm.asp">Global Partnership on Nutrient Management</a> (GPNM)—developed a <a href="http://nutrientchallenge.org/toolbox2/gpnm-toolbox">Global Nutrient Management Toolbox</a>. The Toolbox provides a plethora of online resources to support management actions and policy decisions related to the sustainable management of nutrients and includes hundreds of examples of best management practices and policies from across the globe.</p>
<p align="left">From the Eastern to the Western hemisphere, we can learn from each other and take action now before nutrient pollution and algal blooms wreak irreversible havoc on our ecosystems, economy and health.</p>
</div>Mon, 11 Jul 2016 15:55:41 +0000Desmond Doogan44263 at http://www.wri.orghttp://www.wri.org/blog/2016/07/guacamole-coasts-not-just-florida-not-just-now#commentsAs Indonesia’s Dry Season Looms, a New Tool Can Predict Daily Forest Fire Riskhttp://www.wri.org/blog/2016/07/indonesia%E2%80%99s-dry-season-looms-new-tool-can-predict-daily-forest-fire-risk
<div class="field field--blog-links"><hr><div class="blog-links"><div class="comments"><a href="/taxonomy/term/8605/feed#comments">2 Comments</a></div><div class="pipe">|</div><div class="add-comments"><a href="/taxonomy/term/8605/feed#comments-form">Add Comment</a></div><div class="pipe">|</div><div class="print"><a href="/print/44254">Print</a></div></div></div><div class="field field--title"><h2>As Indonesia’s Dry Season Looms, a New Tool Can Predict Daily Forest Fire Risk</h2></div><figure class="field field--field-featured-image"><div class="field__item odd"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://www.wri.org/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/fire_tesso.jpg?itok=a48K5rfb" alt="Indonesia forest fire" title="Satellite image of a fire in Indonesia&#039;s Tesso Nilo National Park, 2015. Image by GFW Fires and Digital Globe" /></div><figcaption class="field__label">Satellite image of a fire in Indonesia's Tesso Nilo National Park, 2015. Image by GFW Fires and Digital Globe</figcaption></figure><div class="field field--body"><p><em>Karyn Tabor works at Conservation International on the development of their Firecast tool. Greg Soter is a GIS programmer who adapted the Firecast model for Indonesia.</em></p>
<p>This summer, visitors to U.S. national parks and forests will be greeted by Smokey the Bear, the Forest Service’s beloved mascot, delivering a warning about the <a href="http://smokeyzone.com/fire-danger-signs/">day’s fire danger</a>. Those warnings are important--<a href="http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-drought-dead-trees-20160622-snap-story.html">signs point</a> to another record fire year for the country. But this summer, many of the world’s most damaging fires may actually occur halfway around the world in the forests and peatlands of Indonesia.</p>
<p>Last year, Indonesia’s forest and land fires <a href="http://blog.globalforestwatch.org/2015/10/with-latest-fires-crisis-indonesia-surpasses-russia-as-worlds-fourth-largest-emitter/">emitted more</a> than the entire U.S. economy on a daily basis for half the summer. Toxic smoke and haze afflicted hundreds of thousands, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/dec/15/indonesia-forest-fires-cost-twice-as-much-as-tsunami-clean-up-says-world-bank">disrupting</a> the economy, triggering <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/oct/26/indonesias-fires-crime-against-humanity-hundreds-of-thousands-suffer">respiratory problems</a> and even <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2015/09/children-are-dying-from-respiratory-ailments-as-haze-blankets-sumatra/">causing deaths</a>. Could this crisis be averted if Indonesia had its own version of Smokey the Bear’s daily fire danger warnings?</p>
<p><div class="image image-center"><img src="http://www.wri.org/sites/default/files/uploads/smokey.jpg" alt="<p>Smokey the Bear fire danger sign in Paradise Valley, Nevada. Photo by Famartin/Wikimedia Commons</p>
" /><p class="credit"><p>Smokey the Bear fire danger sign in Paradise Valley, Nevada. Photo by Famartin/Wikimedia Commons</p>
</p></div></p>
<p>The new Fire Risk Map on <a href="http://fires.globalforestwatch.org/">Global Forest Watch Fires</a> aims to provide a Smokey for Southeast Asia. Every day, a computer model generates a new interactive map showing where dry conditions increase fire risk in Indonesia and Malaysia. The tool can help decision-makers take action to prevent fires before they ignite.</p>
<p><div class="image"><img src="http://www.wri.org/sites/default/files/uploads/firerisk_GIF_June6_small.gif" alt="<p>A year\'s worth of fire risk data, 2015-2016.</p>
" /><p class="credit"><p>A year's worth of fire risk data, 2015-2016.</p>
</p></div></p>
<h3>How the Map Works</h3>
<p>Experts with <a href="http://firecast.conservation.org/">Conservation International’s Firecast initiative</a>, the Global Solutions Group and WRI developed the fire risk map based on the U.S. Forest Service’s <a href="http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/cibola/landmanagement/resourcemanagement/?cid=stelprdb5368839">Fire Danger Rating System</a>. It calculates the risk of a fire catching and spreading in a given area using satellite-based data on temperature, humidity and rainfall. These metrics help estimate how wet or dry forest litter (dead tree and plant materials) is—the drier the litter, the higher the risk. As the chart below shows, when you have sustained periods of high flammability such as last season’s El Niño conditions, fires can quickly surge. Last year, Central Kalimantan, which experienced the greatest number of fires, sustained a moderate to high average fire risk score for a period of 143 days from June 21th until Nov 11th, resulting in 29,785 fire alerts.</p>
<p>Of course weather isn’t the only factor determining whether fires will take hold. Most of Indonesia’s forest fires are human-caused, usually to clear forests for agricultural and forestry activity. But levels of dryness affect whether these fires will spread and surge out of control. With daily warnings on when and where land is most flammable, government agents, companies and communities can channel resources to areas most likely to burn.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.wri.org/sites/default/files/uploads/Fire_Risk_Chart-01.png"><div class="image"><img src="http://www.wri.org/sites/default/files/uploads/Fire_Risk_Chart-01.png" alt="
" /><p class="credit">
</p></div></a></p>
<h3>What to Expect in 2016</h3>
<p>Indonesia is currently entering its dry season (June to October), when fires typically spike and air quality deteriorates. However, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Ni%C3%B1o%E2%80%93Southern_Oscillation">El Niño</a>, a cyclical climate event which warms sea temperatures and led to dry conditions in 2015, has now largely ended. Instead, there is a 75 percent chance of La Niña, the cooler inverse of El Niño, which <a href="http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/analysis_monitoring/enso_advisory/ensodisc.html">would create</a> wetter-than-average conditions for Indonesia and perhaps a shorter dry season.</p>
<p>So far in 2016, most of Indonesia has been relatively rainy and <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2016/06/no-more-fires-in-indonesia/">with few fires</a>, although conditions are growing drier. The new fire risk data shows that average fire risk is at moderate to low in provinces that saw significant fire outbreaks last year, but beginning to enter high-risk conditions in portions of Riau Province and Central and West Kalimantan.</p>
<h3>Preventing Future Fire Outbreaks</h3>
<p>Signs of lower fire risk should not be cause for complacency. It is cheaper to prevent fires than react to them, and this fire season could present an opportunity to tackle the roots of the problem.</p>
<iframe width="600" height="600" frameborder="0" src="http://fires.globalforestwatch.org/map/#activeLayers=fireRisk&amp;activeBasemap=topo&amp;x=112&amp;y=2&amp;z=5?activeLayers=fireRisk&amp;activeBasemap=topo&amp;x=112&amp;y=2&amp;z=5"></iframe>
<p>Land managers can take proactive actions to prevent fires during periods of high fire risk:</p>
<ul><li><p><strong>Take preventative measures.</strong> For example, APRIL, a company with extensive pulpwood concessions across Riau Province in Indonesia, is already implementing fire prevention measures for when conditions grow excessively dry. The company is blocking drainage canals to raise the water table in plantations to reduce chances of fires igniting.</p></li>
<li><p><strong><a href="http://fires.globalforestwatch.org/map/#activeLayers=activeFires&amp;activeBasemap=topo&amp;x=115&amp;y=0&amp;z=5">Subscribe</a> on GFW Fires</strong> to be alerted by email or SMS as soon as fires are detected, and quickly send firefighters to contain the fires. Soon, you will also soon be able to subscribe to alerts for high fire risk.</p></li>
<li><p><strong>Work with local communities</strong> around plantation areas. Smallholders and communities may not have the same capacity or tools as a large company, and may need to borrow land-clearing equipment or gain knowledge from businesses on how to prevent fires.</p></li>
</ul><p>Government agencies can also be proactive:</p>
<ul><li><p><strong>Inform the public when fire risk is high.</strong> In the United States, fire danger warnings help forest users know whether it is safe to build a campfire or operate certain equipment. Similar warnings or prohibitions on fires on dry days could help raise awareness. Public campaigns could also educate farmers on using non-fire methods to prepare their land for agriculture.</p></li>
<li><p><strong>Require plantation companies to develop fire management plans and implement fire prevention actions.</strong> This could including requiring companies to maintain adequate fire response capacity, such as hiring firefighting staff and experts.</p></li>
<li><p><strong>Coordinate fire response actions when fires occur</strong> to prevent spreading. National agencies should work closely with local governments, and may also accept assistance from other national governments in the form of funding, equipment or investigations into companies or individuals implicated in fires.</p></li>
</ul><p>Global Forest Watch and Conservation International plan to continue working together to build on this effort, including potentially expanding to other geographic regions. We welcome <a href="http://fires.globalforestwatch.org/map/?show_feedback=true#activeLayers=activeFires&amp;activeBasemap=topo&amp;x=115&amp;y=0&amp;z=5">your input</a> on how this information could be useful to your work.</p>
<p><em>To learn more about the fire risk map, read the Conservation International publication, A <a href="http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs00267-013-0073-1">satellite model of forest flammability</a>, and visit the <a href="http://firecast.conservation.org/">Firecast website</a>. Download daily fire risk or days since last rainfall maps through <a href="http://data.globalforestwatch.org/datasets/0c4e389e29d5435fb603b761ef2dd745">GFW’s Open Data Portal</a>.</em></p>
</div>Thu, 07 Jul 2016 14:00:00 +0000Sarah Parsons44254 at http://www.wri.orghttp://www.wri.org/blog/2016/07/indonesia%E2%80%99s-dry-season-looms-new-tool-can-predict-daily-forest-fire-risk#comments5 Images Explain Why the Alberta Forest Fires Are So Hard to Stophttp://www.wri.org/blog/2016/05/5-images-explain-why-alberta-forest-fires-are-so-hard-stop
<div class="field field--blog-links"><hr><div class="blog-links"><div class="comments"><a href="/taxonomy/term/8605/feed#comments"></a></div><div class="add-comments"><a href="/taxonomy/term/8605/feed#comments-form">Add Comment</a></div><div class="pipe">|</div><div class="print"><a href="/print/44077">Print</a></div></div></div><div class="field field--title"><h2>5 Images Explain Why the Alberta Forest Fires Are So Hard to Stop</h2></div><figure class="field field--field-featured-image"><div class="field__item odd"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://www.wri.org/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/canada_fire.jpg?itok=Tc6s50Np" alt="forest fire in Alberta, Canada" title="Forest fires in Alberta, Canada have displaced more than 80,000 people. Photo by Cameron Strandberg/Rocky Mountain House" /></div><figcaption class="field__label">Forest fires in Alberta, Canada have displaced more than 80,000 people. Photo by Cameron Strandberg/Rocky Mountain House</figcaption></figure><div class="field field--body"><p>Fires are a natural part of many boreal forest ecosystems, but the massive blaze raging in Alberta, Canada is a catastrophe that threatens human health, the economy and the environment. The fire has already displaced 80,000 people—the largest fire evacuation in Canada’s history—and threatens hundreds of thousands of hectares of forest.</p>
<p>This current episode in the Fort McMurray area is remarkable in its size, extent and human impact. Data from the <a href="http://bit.ly/1T6Dq1C">Global Forest Watch</a> platform provide context on what’s going on with Alberta’s forest fires:</p>
<h3>1) These fires are an anomaly.</h3>
<p>Satellites have detected more than 1,000 active fire (NASA FIRMS) points in the last week around Fort McMurray, a city of about 80,000 people located northeast of Edmonton. To date, over 240,000 hectares have burned across Alberta <a href="http://wildfire.alberta.ca/reports/sitrep.html">this year</a>, exceeding the total burned area for all years in the <a href="http://wildfire.alberta.ca/wildfire-maps/historical-wildfire-information/documents/HectaresBurned-Apr14-2015.pdf">last decade</a> except 2011 and 2012. Officials on the ground are reporting that the fire has grown to 16 times its size in the last few days, greater than 229,000 hectares at <a href="http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/alberta/the-fort-mcmurray-disaster-read-the-latest-wednesday/article29930041/">last count</a>. Experts pinpoint a particularly strong El Niño year—producing a <a href="http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$Department/deptdocs.nsf/all/sdd15967">warmer and drier winter</a> than usual in Alberta—along with <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/11/science/global-warming-cited-as-wildfires-increase-in-fragile-boreal-forest.html?ref=topics&amp;_r=1">long-term effects of climate change</a> as creating conditions that enabled the wildfire to rapidly spread.</p>
<p><img src="/sites/default/files/uploads/albertafires.gif" width="1251" height="768" alt="" /></p>
<h3>2) This area is important for forest management and resource extraction.</h3>
<p>This region of Alberta is also notable for its oil and gas activity. Fort McMurray sits on top of the Athabasca Oil Sands, the <a href="http://www.energy.alberta.ca/oilsands/791.asp">third-largest</a> oil reserve in the world. In addition, the area around the fires includes land that has been leased for economic activity, including extraction for industrial minerals, such as sand, gravel, silica sand, salt, and limestone used for the oil sands project.</p>
<p>Parts of the active fires area around Fort McMurray also fall within areas managed for timber extraction, including by ALPAC Forest Products Inc., an area certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. The fires in this area will continue to impact the industries that rely on natural resources in Alberta.</p>
<p><img src="/sites/default/files/uploads/ftmcmurraylanduse.png" width="1301" height="864" alt="" /></p>
<p><em>Fire activity expands onto forest tenures and mining permits.</em></p>
<h3>3) The fires impact <strong>the most valuable </strong><strong>forest landscapes.</strong></h3>
<p>About 35 percent of the active fire area—around 78,885 hectares—overlaps with intact forests. These areas, to the south and southeast of Fort McMurray, are large expanses that previously showed no signs of human activity, a type of forest ecosystem that holds the high value for conservation. While some of these forests will regenerate with time, in the short-term, they’ll significantly impact timber values, carbon emissions and animal habitats like those that support the critically endangered woodland caribou. The fire has also spread onto nearby protected areas, including provincial parks.</p>
<p><img src="/sites/default/files/uploads/firesifls.gif" width="1457" height="960" alt="" /></p>
<p><em>Fire activity from the last week spreads into Canada’s intact forests.</em></p>
<h3>4) Wind is making the fires harder to fight.</h3>
<p>Weather conditions—including temperature and wind speeds—can make forest fires more difficult to contain. Authorities have sought to move evacuees south of Fort McMurray out of the direction of the fire and wind, which has reached speeds of up to 25 mph in the past week—three times higher than the <a href="http://fortmcmurray.weatherstats.ca/metrics/wind_speed.html">average for May</a> last year. You can track the wind speed and direction in real-time on Global Forest Watch Fires, as well as view historical wind data.</p>
<iframe src="http://fires.globalforestwatch.org/map/#activeLayers=activeFires%2CwindDirection&amp;activeBasemap=dark-gray&amp;x=-111&amp;y=57&amp;z=7" height="600" width="600" frameborder="0"></iframe>
<p><em>Real-time map of wind direction and speed around Fort McMurray.</em></p>
<h3>5) Fire has already had a massive impact on communities, and will continue to affect the economy and environment.</h3>
<iframe frameborder="0" class="juxtapose" width="100%" height="500" src="https://cdn.knightlab.com/libs/juxtapose/latest/embed/index.html?uid=304bbd3e-17b6-11e6-a524-0e7075bba956"></iframe>
<p><em>Near-infrared images captured by </em><em>DigitalGlobe’s WorldView-2 satellite on May 29, 2015 (left) and May 5, 2016. Bright red areas represent healthy forest land, while the areas burned by the fire show up as black and gray. Credit: DigitalGlobe.</em></p>
<p>It is unclear when people will be able to return to their homes, and what the long-term impacts will be on ecosystems like intact forests and caribou habitat. Along with being <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2016/05/04/over-80000-evacuated-fires-threaten-canada-town/83912738/">the biggest fire evacuation in Canada’s history</a>, the fires are also likely to be one of the costliest disasters. Some analysts are predicting lower GDP growth in the country this year as a direct result of the fires, and banks estimate that losses could reach $9 billion in insured industry damages.</p>
<h3>You Can Help Fight the Fires.</h3>
<p>In the meantime, you can help first responders by joining Digital Globe's <a href="http://www.tomnod.com/campaign/alberta_wildfire_2016/map/e41x1fyl">Tomnod campaign</a>, which allows anyone with an internet connection to identify and map damaged buildings or blocked roads on satellite imagery. Crowdsourcing efforts like this one can save valuable time and resources by collecting information as quickly as possible.</p>
<p><i>Wynet Smith is the Executive Director of <a href="http://www.globalforestwatch.ca/"><em>Global Forest Watch Canada</em></a>, an independent non-profit organization.</i></p>
</div>Wed, 11 May 2016 20:49:44 +0000Wil Thomas44077 at http://www.wri.orghttp://www.wri.org/blog/2016/05/5-images-explain-why-alberta-forest-fires-are-so-hard-stop#commentsStrengthening Indigenous Land Rights: 3 Challenges to “Free, Prior and Informed Consent”http://www.wri.org/blog/2016/05/strengthening-indigenous-land-rights-3-challenges-free-prior-and-informed-consent
<div class="field field--blog-links"><hr><div class="blog-links"><div class="comments"><a href="/taxonomy/term/8605/feed#comments"></a></div><div class="add-comments"><a href="/taxonomy/term/8605/feed#comments-form">Add Comment</a></div><div class="pipe">|</div><div class="print"><a href="/print/44063">Print</a></div></div></div><div class="field field--title"><h2>Strengthening Indigenous Land Rights: 3 Challenges to “Free, Prior and Informed Consent”</h2></div><figure class="field field--field-featured-image"><div class="field__item odd"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://www.wri.org/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/9395209309_191942402b_z.jpg?itok=lINuTIJM" alt="Pack horse" title="In many areas of the world, large-scale development projects threaten Indigenous People’s land and resources. Photo by David Amsler/Flickr " /></div><figcaption class="field__label">In many areas of the world, large-scale development projects threaten Indigenous People’s land and resources. Photo by David Amsler/Flickr </figcaption></figure><div class="field field--body"><p>Indigenous representatives from around the world are convening in New York this week for the 15th session of the <a href="https://www.un.org/development/desa/indigenouspeoples/unpfii-sessions-2/unpfii-fifteenth-session.html">UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues</a>. The Forum is the UN’s central coordinating and advisory body on indigenous issues, and the annual sessions provide the opportunity to take stock of issues affecting Indigenous Peoples around the world. One such issue is large-scale development projects’ ongoing threats to indigenous control of lands and resources.</p>
<p>Before the bulldozers arrive in their communities, indigenous men and women must be informed and given the opportunity to decide whether or not to allow such a project to happen. Under international human rights law, this right to “<a href="https://www.oxfam.org.au/what-we-do/mining/free-prior-and-informed-consent/">free, prior and informed consent</a>” (FPIC) applies to all development projects that directly affect indigenous communities’ access to their lands and resources.</p>
<p>Looking back on the history and development of FPIC, one can see clear signs of progress, but also significant challenges to ensuring this right is realized. Here are three key obstacles to overcome:</p>
<h3>1. FPIC is an internationally recognized human right, but isn’t always treated that way at the national level.</h3>
<p>While Indigenous Peoples’ right to FPIC is explicitly incorporated into both binding and non-binding international human rights laws, not all countries have adopted these laws. For instance, the <a href="http://www.ilo.org/dyn/normlex/en/f?p=normlexpub:12100:0::no::p12100_instrument_id:312314">ILO Convention 169 on Indigenous and Tribal Peoples</a> is a legally binding treaty recognizing indigenous rights to give consent, but it’s only ratified by and thus legally binding in <a href="http://www.ilo.org/dyn/normlex/en/f?p=1000:11300:0::NO:11300:P11300_INSTRUMENT_ID:312314">22 countries</a>. Similarly, the legally binding <a href="http://www.ohchr.org/en/professionalinterest/pages/ccpr.aspx">International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights</a> (ICCPR) has been ratified by 160 countries and has been <a href="http://docstore.ohchr.org/SelfServices/FilesHandler.ashx?enc=6QkG1d%2fPPRiCAqhKb7yhstcNDCvDan1pXU7dsZDBaDVEBkdeaT5Sx9X%2b351DL0StFKigZT11RDBPo%2f65693yEP6kRpF9GyHTbxvnCwQv1PcdcwmAZ3OS68xjKAsBOXOY9DcccWIR5hsV5ew63X4O3%2bAzss5MQfNd%2fMrOoHkxOTg%3d">authoritatively interpreted</a> by the UN Human Rights Committee to protect FPIC rights, but not all countries embrace this interpretation. FPIC is also recognized in the <a href="http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unpfii/documents/DRIPS_en.pdf">UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples </a>and the <a href="http://www.fao.org/docrep/016/i2801e/i2801e.pdf">Voluntary Guidelines on Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests</a> (VGGTs), but these “soft laws” aren’t <a href="http://www.lrwc.org/education/international-law/non-treaty-standards/">technically</a> legally binding.</p>
<h3>2. Few countries have incorporated FPIC into their national laws.</h3>
<p>Thirty-six out of the 39 countries assessed on <a href="http://www.landmarkmap.org/">LandMark</a>, a mapping platform of indigenous and community lands and legal rights, do not have national laws that provide indigenous communities with strong legal rights to FPIC. This is problematic given that many of these countries’ laws grant governments broad legal authority to take indigenous land without consultation or consent. A forthcoming WRI working paper explores how many countries’ laws do not require governments to identify, inform or consult affected landholders prior to acquiring land in a compulsory manner, despite international standards calling for governments to do so.</p>
<p>Of the countries assessed on LandMark, the Philippines, <a href="https://intercontinentalcry.org/colombian-court-confirms-indigenous-peoples-right-to-free-prior-and-informed-consent/">Colombia</a> and Peru are the only three that have incorporated strong FPIC rights for indigenous communities in their national laws. Australia, Bolivia, South Africa, South Sudan and Tanzania have also made some progress by incorporating limited indigenous rights to give consent before their lands are acquired by governments or other outsiders. If followed in practice, these laws can protect indigenous communities from unwanted encroachment and help them safeguard their lands and resources.</p>
<h3>3. FPIC is not always sensitive to gender issues.</h3>
<p>Even when recognized by domestic laws, FPIC can have differing impacts on men and women.</p>
<p>A recent <a href="https://www.bmz.de/de/zentrales_downloadarchiv/Service/Konferenzen/Indigene/Input_Paper_III_Lisa_Ogle_and_Celina_Yong.pdf">study</a> of FPIC implementation highlights how women are not necessarily included in decision-making processes about land and resources. Women in a community affected by a palm oil concession in <a href="http://sawitwatch.or.id/2012/08/women-position-in-fpic-process/">Desa Mekar Jaya</a>, Indonesia, for example, stated that they had not heard of FPIC, and it was mostly men who were involved in community consultations related to the investment, despite the fact that women work side-by-side with men in Indonesia’s plantations. The fact that women were not consulted is particularly problematic given the risk of reproductive problems that can arise from exposure to pesticides and other hazardous chemicals used by the palm oil company. Given their role in rural communities and the impacts investments may have on them, it is important for women to be part of the FPIC process.</p>
<p>International standards—such as the VGGTs and the <a href="http://www.ifc.org/wps/wcm/connect/c8f524004a73daeca09afdf998895a12/IFC_Performance_Standards.pdf?MOD=AJPERES">International Finance Corporation Performance Standards</a> (IFC), which must be complied with by all investors financed by the IFC— now specifically recognize that FPIC must capture the views of both men and women, but it’s clear that there’s still more work to do to achieve gender equity in this area.</p>
<h3>Looking Ahead: A Task for Governments</h3>
<p>While there is still a long road ahead, there are reasons to be optimistic about the possibility of FPIC becoming universally recognized and protected. <a href="https://www.oxfam.org/sites/www.oxfam.org/files/file_attachments/bp207-community-consent-index-230715-en_0.pdf">Some companies</a>, for instance, are increasingly making commitments to recognize FPIC rights when conducting business. And indeed, it’s in their best interests to do so: FPIC can help to avoid the <a href="https://www.csrm.uq.edu.au/publications/costs-of-company-community-conflict-in-the-extractive-sector">extensive costs</a> that can arise from conflicts between investors and affected communities.</p>
<p>Nevertheless, FPIC cannot be fully realized without governments incorporating it into domestic laws and implementing it in gender-sensitive ways. When protected by law and implemented appropriately, FPIC can ensure that lands and resources are governed responsibly, and that development projects benefit the planet and <a href="http://www.wri.org/securingrights">the people who protect it. </a></p>
</div>Mon, 09 May 2016 16:26:21 +0000Wil Thomas44063 at http://www.wri.orghttp://www.wri.org/blog/2016/05/strengthening-indigenous-land-rights-3-challenges-free-prior-and-informed-consent#commentsDestruction of Tropical Peatland Is an Overlooked Source of Emissionshttp://www.wri.org/blog/2016/04/destruction-tropical-peatland-overlooked-source-emissions
<div class="field field--blog-links"><hr><div class="blog-links"><div class="comments"><a href="/taxonomy/term/8605/feed#comments"></a></div><div class="add-comments"><a href="/taxonomy/term/8605/feed#comments-form">Add Comment</a></div><div class="pipe">|</div><div class="print"><a href="/print/44006">Print</a></div></div></div><div class="field field--title"><h2>Destruction of Tropical Peatland Is an Overlooked Source of Emissions</h2></div><figure class="field field--field-featured-image"><div class="field__item odd"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://www.wri.org/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/Indonesia_May07_Highlights_021.jpg?itok=BXG4AJGG" alt="Peat drainage canals" title="Peat drainage canals, combined with fire, are used to make land more suitable for agriculture. Photo by Nancy Harris/Flickr" /></div><figcaption class="field__label">Peat drainage canals, combined with fire, are used to make land more suitable for agriculture. Photo by Nancy Harris/Flickr</figcaption></figure><div class="field field--body"><p><em>Read this blog in <a href="http://wri-indonesia.org/id/blog/kerusakan-lahan-gambut-tropis-merupakan-sumber-emisi-co2-yang-terabaikan">Bahasa Indonesian</a>.</em></p>
<hr /><p>Tropical regions face an <a href="http://news.mongabay.com/2014/07/what-is-peat-swamp-and-why-should-i-care/">emissions challenge</a> from an important, but relatively little-known source: drained peatland. Peat soil, made up of partially <a href="http://www.peatsociety.org/peatlands-and-peat/what-peat">decomposed, wet plant</a> material that forms over thousands of years, is <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2486.2010.02279.x/abstract">highly concentrated</a> in Indonesia and Malaysia. Peatland in these countries has become a common target for <a href="http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2011/04/tropical-peat-forests-trouble">agricultural expansion</a>, particularly for oil palm, as fertile land becomes increasingly scarce. When land is cleared for plantations, the underlying peat needs to be drained, releasing CO<sub>2</sub> into the atmosphere.</p>
<p>In fact, the estimated annual emissions from peat drainage in Indonesia and Malaysia—the world’s two largest sources of tropical peat—<a href="https://www.epa.gov/energy/greenhouse-gas-equivalencies-calculator">equate</a> to emissions from nearly 70 coal plants, or the total annual emissions of Vietnam.</p>
<p>Indonesia and Malaysia are among the world’s <a href="http://cait.wri.org/historical/Country%20GHG%20Emissions?indicator%5b%5d=Total%20GHG%20Emissions%20Excluding%20Land-Use%20Change%20and%20Forestry&amp;indicator%5b%5d=Total%20GHG%20Emissions%20Including%20Land-Use%20Change%20and%20Forestry&amp;year%5b%5d=2012&amp;sortIdx=">major emitters</a> (6<sup>th</sup> and 19<sup>th</sup> respectively). But their contributions to global emissions may be even worse than we think as most <a href="http://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/assessment-report/ar5/wg3/ipcc_wg3_ar5_chapter11.pdf">estimates</a> of emissions from land use and land use change leave out those from drained peatland.</p>
<p>The reason such an important source of emissions is left out is simple: data on peat are hard to find.</p>
<p>But that’s no longer the case with new data available on <a href="http://climate.globalforestwatch.org/map/5/0.02/106.11/ALL/grayscale/none/858">Global Forest Watch Climate</a>. The new data and carbon emissions analysis feature lets users see how much CO<sub>2</sub> is emitted from drained tropical peat soil each year within mapped plantation areas.</p>
<h3>Emissions from Peat in Indonesia and Malaysia Same as Those from 70 Coal Plants</h3>
<p>Peatlands come in many forms, but tropical peatland is the most carbon-rich of its kind. <strong>Each hectare of tropical peat drained for plantation development emits an average of 55 metric tons of CO<sub>2</sub> every year, roughly </strong><a href="http://www.epa.gov/energy/greenhouse-gas-equivalencies-calculator"><strong>equivalent</strong></a><strong> to burning more than 6,000 gallons of gasoline.</strong></p>
<p><a href="/sites/default/files/uploads/WRI16_Peat-Drainage_02-v3.png"><img src="/sites/default/files/uploads/WRI16_Peat-Drainage_02-v3.png" width="2750" height="1212" alt="" /></a></p>
<p>Recently published <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351989415300470">research</a> shows the area of industrial plantation expansion onto peatlands in Borneo, Sumatra and peninsular Malaysia increased 37 percent over just the past five years (235,000 hectares or 581,000 acres per year). In Kalimantan alone, the expansion more than doubled. Today, plantations cover 5.2 million hectares (12.8 million acres) of tropical peatland in Indonesia and Malaysia, meaning that emissions from these drained areas total 263 megatonnes (Mt) of CO<sub>2</sub> per year—equivalent to emissions from 70 coal plants.</p>
<p><a href="/sites/default/files/uploads/WRI16_Peat-Drainage_01-v4.png"><img src="/sites/default/files/uploads/WRI16_Peat-Drainage_01-v4.png" width="2604" height="1854" alt="" /></a></p>
<p>Considering the massive scale at which peatlands have been drained—with no signs of slowing—the importance of accounting for and ultimately preventing these emissions is obvious. Here are three important things to understand about emissions from peat drainage and what can be done about it.</p>
<h3>1. Why Does Peat Drainage Lead to Emissions?</h3>
<p>Peatlands are not ideal for agriculture in their natural flooded state. Preparing them for planting first requires the land to be drained of water so the planted crop roots can access oxygen and thrive. But this process also allows microbes in the soil to eat away the organic matter and release CO<sub>2</sub> in the process.</p>
<p><aside class="sidebar"></p>
<h3>HOW IS PEAT FORMED?</h3>
<p>Peat forms under wetland conditions, where flooding causes partially decayed vegetation or organic material to accumulate over time rather than decomposing. As this organic material builds up over thousands of years at a rate about the thickness of a quarter every year, it retains even more water and acts as a giant sponge that holds moisture. Eventually, a dome of wet organic material forms that can rise above the surrounding flood levels.</p>
<p>Tropical peat soils are found primarily in Indonesia and Malaysia, and can range in thickness from half a meter to more than 20 meters deep. With the accumulation of so much organic material, tropical peat soils store up to 20 times more carbon than other types of mineral soils.</p>
<p></aside></p>
<p>As the organic matter decomposes, the peat subsides, requiring further drainage to avoid re-flooding. This continued cycle of peat subsidence and drainage creates a continuous source of CO<sub>2</sub> emissions over time.</p>
<h3>2. Why Are Emissions from Peat Drainage Left Out of Global Emissions Inventories?</h3>
<p>There is still considerable <a href="http://blog.globalforestwatch.org/2016/03/what-indonesia-doesnt-know-about-peatlands-could-undermine-its-climate-goals/">uncertainty</a> about the extent and depth of peat soils. The Food and Agriculture Organization provides <a href="http://faostat3.fao.org/download/G2/GC/E">estimates</a> of peat drainage emissions, but they come from imprecise datasets that have not changed since 1990, despite there being 15 times more agriculture planted on peat in Indonesia and Malaysia today.</p>
<h3>3. Can Emissions from Peat Drainage Be Measured Accurately?</h3>
<p>The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) recently released a <a href="http://www.ipcc-nggip.iges.or.jp/public/wetlands/">guide</a> on how to estimate emissions from drained peatlands. <a href="http://climate.globalforestwatch.org/">GFW Climate</a> used this guidance as well as data on the type and location of plantations and soils to produce the first detailed map of where and how much CO<sub>2</sub> emissions are occurring as a result of drained peat across Indonesia and Malaysia.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.wri.org/sites/default/files/uploads/PeatDrainage.png"><div class="image image-center"><img src="http://www.wri.org/sites/default/files/uploads/PeatDrainage.png" alt="" /></div></a></p>
<h3>Restoring Peat and Planting on Degraded Land to Prevent Future Emissions</h3>
<p>The only way to prevent drained peat from emitting more carbon dioxide is to rewet the land. Doing so has the added benefit of preventing fires during the dry season, which themselves can be an additional <a href="http://blog.globalforestwatch.org/2015/10/with-latest-fires-crisis-indonesia-surpasses-russia-as-worlds-fourth-largest-emitter/">catastrophic source</a> of emissions and air pollution. After last year’s record-breaking fires season, Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo set up an agency to restore about 2 million hectares (5 million acres) of peatland in four prioritized districts. While methods to restore the hydrology of dried peat continue to <a href="http://www.v-c-s.org/methodologies/methodology-rewetting-drained-tropical-peatlands-v10">develop</a>, decision makers must also implement stronger land-use policies to prevent their drainage in the first place.</p>
<p>Last week, the Indonesian government announced a <a href="http://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/jokowi-announces-moratorium-on-new-permits-for-oil-palm-plantations-mining-activities">moratorium</a> on the issuance of new permits for oil palm and mining operations, including on peat. Policies can also target degraded land for agricultural expansion, which, if <a href="http://www.wri.org/blog/2016/03/can-plantations-help-restore-degraded-and-deforested-land">done right</a>, can help restore landscapes while meeting consumer demands.</p>
<p>It won’t be easy, but information like data on carbon emissions from peat drainage and maps of plantations and concessions will help. With the right information and tools, decision makers and law enforcement agencies can effectively implement changes and protect carbon-rich areas in the future.</p>
</div>Thu, 21 Apr 2016 04:01:00 +0000Wil Thomas44006 at http://www.wri.orghttp://www.wri.org/blog/2016/04/destruction-tropical-peatland-overlooked-source-emissions#commentsWhen Could the Paris Agreement Take Effect? Interactive Map Sheds Lighthttp://www.wri.org/blog/2016/04/when-could-paris-agreement-take-effect-interactive-map-sheds-light
<div class="field field--blog-links"><hr><div class="blog-links"><div class="comments"><a href="/taxonomy/term/8605/feed#comments">3 Comments</a></div><div class="pipe">|</div><div class="add-comments"><a href="/taxonomy/term/8605/feed#comments-form">Add Comment</a></div><div class="pipe">|</div><div class="print"><a href="/print/43973">Print</a></div></div></div><div class="field field--title"><h2>When Could the Paris Agreement Take Effect? Interactive Map Sheds Light</h2></div><figure class="field field--field-featured-image"><div class="field__item odd"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://www.wri.org/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/Paris_Agreement_Tracker.png?itok=fvys1OCe" alt="The Paris Agreement Tracker" title="The Paris Agreement Tracker enables people to monitor countries’ progress toward ratifying the Paris Agreement, and allows users to create their own combinations for bringing it into force." /></div><figcaption class="field__label">The Paris Agreement Tracker enables people to monitor countries’ progress toward ratifying the Paris Agreement, and allows users to create their own combinations for bringing it into force.</figcaption></figure><div class="field field--body"><p><sub><strong>Blog Languages:<br /><a href="http://www.wri.org/blog/2016/04/when-could-paris-agreement-take-effect-interactive-map-sheds-light-fr">Français</a> | <a href="http://www.wri.org/blog/2016/04/when-could-paris-agreement-take-effect-interactive-map-sheds-light-es">Español</a> | <a href="http://www.wri.org/blog/2016/04/when-could-paris-agreement-take-effect-interactive-map-sheds-light-pt">Português</a> | <a href="http://www.wri.org/blog/2016/04/when-could-paris-agreement-take-effect-interactive-map-sheds-light-jp">日本語</a> | <a href="http://www.wri.org/blog/2016/04/when-could-paris-agreement-take-effect-interactive-map-sheds-light-zh"><strong>中文</strong></a></strong></sub></p>
<hr /><p><i>Check out <a href="http://cait.wri.org/indc/#/ratification">our new interactive tool</a>, the Paris Agreement Tracker, on WRI's CAIT Climate Data Explorer.</i></p>
<p>Next week, more than 100 heads of state and other high-level government officials are expected to come to New York City for the signing ceremony of the <a href="http://www.wri.org/blog/2015/12/paris-agreement-turning-point-climate-solution">Paris Agreement adopted at COP21 last year</a>. The UN expects signatures at the ceremony to exceed the number of <a href="http://news.trust.org/item/20160323175342-fxkus/">first-day signatures of any other international agreement</a>, demonstrating overwhelming political support for global climate action.</p>
<p>Signing is the first of <a href="http://www.wri.org/blog/2016/01/after-cop21-what-needs-happen-paris-agreement-take-effect">a two-step process</a> for countries to formally join the Agreement—the next is ratification. Once 55 Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) representing at least 55 percent of global greenhouse gases complete this process, the Agreement will “enter into force,” or come into effect and be legally binding.</p>
<p>UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon <a href="http://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/blog/2016/01/world-leaders-invited-to-paris-agreement-signing-ceremony-on-april-22/">has called for</a> leaders to sign and ratify the Agreement as soon as possible. The momentum has already started, with a number of countries receiving approval from their parliaments to ratify ahead of the signing ceremony on April 22nd.</p>
<p>But how soon will countries join? And what unique mix of countries is necessary to cross the 55-55 threshold that brings the Paris Agreement into full effect?</p>
<h3>Introducing the Paris Agreement Tracker</h3>
<p>Today, WRI unveiled the <a href="http://cait.wri.org/indc/#/ratification">Paris Agreement Tracker</a>. The interactive tool enables people to monitor countries’ progress toward ratifying the Paris Agreement, and allows users to create, share and embed their own combinations for bringing it into force.</p>
<p>Try it out for yourself below.</p>
<iframe src="http://cait.wri.org/source/ratification/#?embed=true" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" width="1000px" height="700px"></iframe>
<p>At the time of writing this blog, the Paris Tracker Map is blank, as no countries have signed or joined the Agreement yet. By tapping on countries or selecting geographies or negotiating groups, you can see what possible combinations of countries would cross the emissions and countries threshold.</p>
<p>Some insights that are immediately apparent include:</p>
<h3>We Need at Least One of the Top 4 Emitters</h3>
<p>As you can see in the scenario below, even if every other country in the world ratifies the Agreement, it cannot go into force without at least one of the four biggest emitters (China, United States, EU and Russia) doing so as well.</p>
<iframe src="http://cait.wri.org/source/ratification/#?popShow=false&amp;embed=true&amp;countries=DZ,AO,BJ,BW,BF,BI,CM,CV,CF,TD,KM,CD,DJ,EG,GQ,ER,ET,GA,GM,GH,GN,GW,CI,KE,LS,LR,LY,MG,MW,ML,MR,MU,MA,MZ,NA,NE,NG,CG,RW,ST,SN,SC,SL,SO,ZA,SS,SD,SZ,TZ,TG,TN,UG,ZM,ZW,AF,AM,AZ,BH,BD,BT,BN,KH,GE,IN,ID,IR,IQ,IL,JP,JO,KZ,KP,KW,KG,LA,LB,MY,MV,MN,MM,NP,OM,PK,PH,QA,SA,SG,KR,LK,SY,TJ,TH,TL,TR,TM,AE,UZ,VN,YE,AL,AD,BY,BA,IS,MK,MD,MC,ME,NO,RS,CH,UA,AG,AR,BS,BB,BZ,BO,BR,CL,CO,CR,CU,DM,DO,EC,SV,GD,GT,GY,HT,HN,JM,MX,NI,PA,PY,PE,KN,LC,VC,SR,TT,UY,VE,CA,AU,CK,FM,FJ,KI,MH,NR,NZ,NU,PW,PG,WS,SB,TO,TV,VU" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" width="1000px" height="700px"></iframe>
<h3>US and China Together Get Most, But Not All, of the Way There</h3>
<p>The United States and China <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2016/03/31/us-china-joint-presidential-statement-climate-change">announced their intention</a> to sign the Paris Agreement on April 22, and committed to join the Agreement this year “as early as possible.” Each country must follow its respective domestic processes before ratifying. The United States can join based on the president’s authority, but for China, the approval of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress is also required.</p>
<p>Combined, the United States and China account for about 38 percent of global emissions, which gives a major boost to efforts to reach the threshold for entry into force. We would still need a number of relatively large emitters, such as Russia, India, Japan, Brazil, Canada, Korea or Mexico, to come on board early to meet the 55 percent emissions threshold quickly.</p>
<iframe src="http://cait.wri.org/source/ratification/#?popShow=false&amp;embed=true&amp;countries=CN,US" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" width="1000px" height="700px"></iframe>
<h3>Where Are We At Right Now?</h3>
<p>A number of countries, namely Fiji, Palau, Marshall Islands, the Maldives and Switzerland, have already completed their domestic approval processes allowing them to sign the Paris Agreement and ratify on April 22nd. Others, such as Tuvalu, have indicated they will do so by the signing ceremony.</p>
<p>Although these countries represent only a small amount of total global emissions, their leadership in early ratification is crucial to getting to the required 55 countries. We would easily get there if other small island developing states and members of the <a href="http://www.thecvf.org/">Climate Vulnerable Forum</a> ratified.</p>
<iframe src="http://cait.wri.org/source/ratification/#?popShow=false&amp;embed=true&amp;countries=CH,MV,FJ,PW,MH,AG,BS,BH,BB,BZ,CV,KM,CK,CU,DM,DO,FM,GD,GW,GY,HT,JM,KI,MU,NR,NU,PG,KN,LC,VC,WS,ST,SC,SG,SB,SR,TL,TO,TT,TV,VU,AF,BD,BT,BF,KH,CR,CD,ET,GH,GT,HN,KE,MG,MW,MN,MA,NP,NE,PH,RW,SN,SS,LK,SD,TZ,TN,VN,YE" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" width="1000px" height="700px"></iframe>
<h3>How Long Will it Take for the Paris Agreement to Enter into Force?</h3>
<p>It is reasonable to think entry into force would happen in 2017, but it’s possible that a number of countries could join this year and pass the threshold for the Agreement to go into effect. But given the varying timelines for countries to complete their domestic approval processes, the timing of entry into force is uncertain. </p>
<p>For example, in Australia, the only requirement is formal notification and introduction of the Agreement in Parliament, whereas in Mexico, the consent of the Senate is also required. For Brazil, the approval of the National Congress is required, which means seeking approval of two separate houses of Parliament. And still other countries, such as Vietnam, apply different approval processes depending on the nature of the international agreement.</p>
<p>Even though the EU is considered one “Party” to the Agreement, it will likely have to act jointly with its 28 member states. Each member state must complete its domestic approval processes, and the Council of Ministers, with the consent of the European Parliament, will also need to adopt a decision to ratify. This could take a couple of years, but early entry into force is still possible without the EU.</p>
<p>While some compare the Paris Agreement to the <a href="http://unfccc.int/kyoto_protocol/items/2830.php">Kyoto Protocol</a> process, the previous international climate agreement, there are some important differences. Although the Kyoto Protocol followed a similar 55 Parties/55 percent of emissions approach, its threshold was based only on the <em>carbon dioxide</em> emissions from <em>developed </em>countries. By contrast, the Paris Agreement’s entry into force takes into account all greenhouse gas emissions from all countries, so it should take legal effect much more quickly than Kyoto’s seven years.</p>
<p>The <a href="http://cait.wri.org/indc/#/ratification">Paris Agreement Tracker</a> shows the importance all countries play in bringing this international climate agreement into full effect. April 22 represents the next step in what was started last December. All countries should sign and join the Paris Agreement as soon as they are able to send a strong signal that they’re moving toward a low-carbon, climate-resilient world.</p>
</div>Wed, 13 Apr 2016 16:41:04 +0000Wil Thomas43973 at http://www.wri.orghttp://www.wri.org/blog/2016/04/when-could-paris-agreement-take-effect-interactive-map-sheds-light#comments